Peter Lehning took the path less traveled into the cattle business and his journey led to leadership. South of Rochester, New York, in the small hamlet of Honeoye Falls, Lehning, his brother, and both their families own and operate Lehning Farms. 

Lehning grew up on a small New York hobby farm raising and showing cattle in 4-H, then he joined Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in college and went into the military. He served 25 years in the U.S. Army flying medical evacuation helicopters and then transitioned into healthcare operations and leadership. After both he and his wife Lisa retired from the Army, the Finger Lakes region of New York was calling Lehning home, so he and his family returned and decided to raise cattle with his brother, John, who retired from the U.S. Air Force.

The Lehning family started a small direct-to-consumer business and have grown their operation strategically based on demand. The Lehnings raise and finish cattle, process them in a USDA-inspected facility then sell direct to consumers as whole, halves and quarters as well as mixed boxes of retail cuts. They relish the opportunity to engage with customers and share with them how cattle are raised and handled. 

“We have a lot of fun working together as a family, and we have a great connection with our customers,” Lehning said. 

On more than one occasion, Lehning has made new customers after his cows had broken free of their pastures. As the only beef producer in the area, the cows themselves are great advertising. 

“People in our area are very supportive of what we do, and we rely on word-of-mouth to grow our business,” Lehning said. “We are still learning and growing, but it’s been a great opportunity to connect with the local community.”

The Lehnings were quick to understand that getting involved in local cattle organizations would be instrumental to their success, and volunteer leadership would be part of that engagement. Lehning joined the New York Beef Producers and served as a region vice president. He then joined the New York Beef Council as a producer member and eventually became vice chair and served as chair before becoming the Federation representative. Involvement with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the New York Farm Bureau is also expanding Lehning’s horizons. 

“I tell people I'm a young farmer, really only 10 years into this as a rancher; I'm older in age, but young in experience,” Lehning reflected. “It's still a lot of learning, and there are some great organizations to really learn from and grow in.”

The average herd in New York is 15 beef cows, with thousands of small farms dotting the countryside. Although there are fewer cattle in the state, the massive population is an important audience for promoting beef. Recently, the New York Beef Council leveraged Federation advertising to promote beef in New York City, reaching an estimated 2 million people.

“I see the Federation of State Beef Councils as a collaborative and coordinating effort, which gives us one unifying voice to send the message out about beef through promotion, research and education,” Lehning said. “The Federation helps smaller cattle states leverage what we have to make our dollar go further.”

Lehning sees the value of the Beef Checkoff and how the Federation of State Beef Councils brings the industry together to spread the word about beef. He’s proud to play a role as a voluntary leader and believes it is important to give back.

“You've got to step up, and if you don't tell your story and if you don't get involved, then I think someone else will do it,” Lehning concluded. “It's my responsibility to the beef industry and being part of New York to represent us and engage.”